Nut-lock.



J. G. BALING.

NUT LOOK.

, 1911. 1,046,139, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

JOHN G. BALING, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-TENTH TO HUGOSTEINER, O15 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

NUT-LOCK.

intense.

To all whom 5251726431 concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN- G. BALING, citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to nut locks and has for its primary object theprovision of a comparatively simple and thoroughly etficient device ofthis character, by means of which a nut may be securely locked inadjusted position on the connecting bolt of a railway oint so as toprevent accidental rotation of the nut when subjected to jars andstrains, incident to the passage of cars and other railway rollingstock.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nut having a seatingrecess formed in the inner face thereof and adapted to receive a lockingkey, the latter being provided with teeth adapted to automatically biteinto the threads on a bolt when the nut is rotated in contact with afish plate or other support.

A. further object is to provide means for temporarily supporting thelocking key in inoperative position with one end of said key spaced fromthe bottom of the seating recess and its other end projected beyond theinner face of the nut so that when the projected end of the key contactswith a fish plate or other support, the key will be moved longitudinallywithin the recess and transversely of the threads on the bolt.

A further object is to provide a nut lock, the construction of which issuch that the locking key will effectually grip or bite into the threadson a bolt regardless of the size of the boltreceiving opening in thefish plate or other support through which the bolt passes.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

Application filed September 8, 1911. Serial No. 648,387.

had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a section of railway track providedwith a nut lock constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view, showing the nut in adjusted position on abolt and before the key has been actuated to grip the threads on thebolt; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the position of the locking keyafter the latter has been moved to operative position within the seatingrecess; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line t-4 ofFig. 2; Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6is a transverse sectional view of the nut, showing the position of thelocking key before being moved to operative position;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the locking key detached; Fig. 8 is anenlarged detail transverse sectional view showing the man ner ofclamping the metal between the teeth on the locking key when the latteris actuated to grip the threads on the bolt; Fig. 9 1s a transversesectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

The improved nut lock forming the subj ect matter of the presentinvention is principally designed for preventing accidental rotation ofthe clamping nuts used on the connecting bolts of railway joints and thelike, and by way of illustration is shown in connection with a sectionof track in which 5 designates the cross ties, 6 the rails and 7 thefish plates, the latter being provided with slots 8 to permit thepassage of the securing bolts 9.

The nut 10 may be of any desired shape or configuration, but ispreferably substantially rectangular in contour and provided on itsinner face with a flat bearing surface 11 adapted to bear against theouter face of the adjacent fish plate 7. The nut 10 is provided with aseating recess 12 opening through the bearing surface 11 andcommunicating with the bolt receiving opening in the nut to permit theinsertion of a locking key 13. The locking key 13 is slidably mountedwithin the seating recess 12, while the inner face thereof is providedwith teeth 14, which form a continuation of the threads 15 of the boltreceiving opening in the nut so as to permit said nut to be adjustedlongitudinally on the bolt 9 without interference. One end of thelocking key 13 is normally spaced from the bottom wall 16 of the seatingrecess, while the other end thereof projects laterally beyond thebearing surface 11 to form a head 17 the opposite edges of which arepreferably rounded or beveled at 18 so as to prevent the head fromcatching on any surface obstruction on the fish plate 7 when the nut isadjusted longitudinally of the securing bolt. By such a construction,when the nut 10 is adjusted on the bolt 9, the head 17 of the lockingkey will engage the fish plate 7 and thus be forced longitudinallywithin the seating recess 12, with the result that the teeth 14 of saidlocking key will bite into the threads on the bolt and thus effectuallyprevent accidental rotation of the nut. The teeth or threads 14 of thelocking key are preferably notched or split at 19 so as to present aplurality of cutting or biting edges for engagement with the threads onthe bolt.

As a means for holding the locking key 13 normally in inoperativeposition to permit adjustment of the nut on the bolt, the side walls ofsaid key are provided with transverse grooves 20 adapted to receive aportion of the metal constituting the nut when the latter is struck witha chisel or other suitable tool, the kerf produced by the tool when themetal is forced within the grooves, being indicated at 21 in Fig. 6 ofthe drawing.

It will here be noted that the key 13 is normally supported Within theseating recess 12 in such a manner that the threads or teeth 14 registerwith the threads or teeth 15 in the bolt receiving opening to permitadjustment of the nut without interference. When however, the lockingkey is forced longitudinally within the seating recess until theadjacent end of the locking key bears against the bottom 16 of therecess, the teeth 14 on said key will be moved out of alinement with thethreads 15 on the nut and transversely of the threads on the bolt so asto cut or sever the threads on said bolt, as best indicated in Fig. 8 ofthe drawing. It will also be noted that the locking key 13 is disposedat one corner of the nut and at a point opposite the first thread on thenut.

In operation, the bolt 9 is extended through the fish plate and the nut10 rotated thereon until the proper adjustment has been effected. As theinner face of the nut approaches the fish plate 7 the curved or roundedhead 17 of the locking key will bear against the fish plate and thus beforced longitudinally within the seating recess, thereby causing theteeth 14 on the key to bite into or displace the threads on the bolt andeffectually lock the nut against accidental rotation, as before stated.By

having the locking key. 13 disposed at one corner of the nut andprovided with a relatively long head 17, said key will be actuated toautomatically grip the threads on the bolt, regardless of the size ofthe bolt re ceiving opening in the fish plate or other support throughwhich the bolt passes.

In Fig. 9 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention, in which the teeth on the locking key, instead of being splitor notched, are continuous, as indicated at 22, the construction andoperation of this form of nut lock being otherwise similar to that shownin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

While the nut lock is "principally designed for preventing accidentalrotation of the clamping nuts used on the securing bolts of railwayrails, it will of course be understood that the device may be used withequally good results for preventing accidental rotation of bolts used inthe construction of metal buildings, bridge work or wherever a device ofthis kind is found dethe locking key for positively and temporarilysupporting the locking key in spaced relation to the bottom of theseating recess, said key being movable automatically into engagementwith the threads on the bolt when the nut is rotated in contact with asupport.

2. The combination with a bolt, of a nut having a seating recess formedtherein and communicating with the bolt receiving opening in the nut,and a locking key slidably mounted in said recess and provided with ahead normally projecting beyond the inner face of the nut and having itsside walls formed with grooves, the metal forming the nut being adaptedto be pressed laterally within the grooves for positively supporting thelocking key in inoperative position, said locking key being movable tooperative position in engagement with the threads on the bolt when thenut is rotated in contact with a support.

3. The combination with a bolt, of a nut having its inner face providedwith a flat having one end thereof normally spaced from the bottom ofthe recess and its other end projected beyond the fiat bearing surfaceof the nut, said key being provided with a groove, and the metal at thebearing surface being pressed laterally within the groove for normallypositively holding the looking key in inoperative position, said keybeing movable into engagement with the threads on the bolt when the nutis rotated in contact with a support.

l. The combination with a bolt, of a nut having a substantiallyrectangular seating recess formed therein and communicating with thebolt receiving opening in the nut, and a correspondingly shaped lockingkey seated within the recess and having one end thereof normally spacedfrom the bottom of the recess and its other end projected beyond theinner face of the nut, the inner face of said locking key being providedwith teeth forming a continuation of the teeth of the bolt receivingopening, there being grooves formed in the opposite side faces of thekey and adapted to receive a portion of the metal constituting the nutfor normally and positively holding the teeth of the key in registrationwith the threads of the bolt receiving opening, the teeth on the lockingkey being movable into engagement with the threads on the bolt when thenut is rotated in contact with a support.

5. The combination with a bolt, of a nut having a substantiallyrectangular seating recess formed therein and communicating with thebolt receiving opening in the nut, and a correspondingly-shaped lockingkey seated in the recess and having one end thereof normally spaced fromthe bottom of the recess and its other end provided with a curved headprojecting beyond the inner face of the nut, the inner face of thelocking key being provided with transverse teeth adapted to normallyregister with the threads of the bolt receiving opening in the nut andthe opposite sides thereof being formed with grooves, there being asubstantially V-shaped notch formed in each tooth of the locking key,the metal forming the nut being adapted to be pressed inwardly withinthe grooves for normally and positively holding the locking key spacedfrom the bottom of the seating recess, the curved head of said key, byengagement with a fixed support, serving to force the teeth of thelocking key into engagement with the threads of the bolt when the nut isrotated in contact with said support.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN G. BALING. [1,. s] Witnesses:

CARRIE M. GoHL, HUGO STEINER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

